Stop for sliding doors



March 17, 1953 R. w. REYNOLDS 2,631,662

STOP FORSLIDING DOORS Filed April 50, 1952 I INVENTOR.

lf"atenltecl Mar. 17, 1953 STOP FOR SLIDING DOORS Ralph W. Reynolds,Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to Holcomb & Hoke Mfg. Co., Inc.,Indianapolis,

Ind., a corporation Application April 30, 1952, Serial No. 285,343

This invention relates to an automatic stop device for sliding doorshaving a `pivoted switch mounting for transferring the sliding doorsfrom one track to another angularly disposed track, and may beapplicable to solid sliding doors, but more particularly to fabricfolding doors of the character disclosed in the application for LettersPatent of Frank J. Hoke and Ralph W. Reynolds iiled November 27, 1950,Serial No. 197,776, entitled Folding Door Construction.

In folding doors of the above character it is often desirable to switchthem from one track to another track, for example, from a main trackwhere the door serves the purpose of a closure for an opening in onewall of a room, to a storage track aligned near the adjacent wall of theroom. In this manner, and particularly wherein the door closure may bein several sections to close a wide opening, and in folding a door ordoors to open position, they may interfere with the extent of thedesired opening. In such cases the door or doors sliding on the maintrack for closing the main opening in the room may be slid onto aswinging track and swung a quarter circle against a side wall so as tobe completely out of the way of the main op-ening in the room, ortransferred fromv the swinging track onto an auxiliary storage trackextending along such wall. Again, the room may have openings in adjacentwalls, using the same door or doors for closing one or the yotheropening by switching the door therebetween on the swinging track.

However, it is desirable to provide an automatic stop for preventing thesliding door from running off of the main or auxiliary track when theswitch track is out of alignment therewith, and which will automaticallyopen up the ends of the main or auxiliary tracks adjacent the switchingtrack when the switching track is moved into alignment therewith forpermitting the door or doors to slide therebetween.

This invention therefore relates to an automatic stop for the purposesabove described mounted upon an overhead curved track which supports theswinging end of the pivoted switching track, one such stop being`positioned at the adjacent end of the main track and another positionedat the end of the auxiliary track. Each of said stops is swung into andout of effective stopping position by a cammng action between the stopand one of the supporting rollers on the swinging end of the switchingtrack, as hereinafter more fully set forth and described.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the followingdescription and claims and the accompanying drawings:

6 Claims. (Cl. 160-195) Fig. 1 is a sectional diagrammaticalillustration of a room showing one wall thereof with an opening adaptedto be closed by a sliding door and a closed wall adjacent which theauxiliary or storage track extends, with the switching track ntermediatethereof. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the switching track mounting swunginto alignment with the main track for receiving or discharging asliding door.

Fig. 3 is an illustrative view of the automatic stop viewed on the line3-3 of Fig. 2, showing it in ineffective open position, the switchingtrack being removed.

Fig. 4 is the same as Fig. 3, showing the stop in effective stoppingposition.

In the drawings there is shown a sectional portion of a room orcompartment having a closed side wall I and an open front wall II. VThefront wall I I is provided with a sliding and folding door of the fabrictype indicated at I2 in its extended closing position and at I3 in itsfolded opening position. Said door slides upon a xed main trackindicated at It extending across the underside of the usual silldefining the top of the opening I I. A corresponding overhead xedauxiliary storage track I5 may be Ydisposed along the wall III forreceiving one or more doors I3a in its folded position. At the junctureof the walls I0 and II there is mounted an overhead swinging switchtrack I6 for switching the folded door I3 to the position of the foldeddoor I3a. The switch track being overhead, it is out of the way of thewallopening II so that in place of the folded door I3 being moved on itsmain track I4 against the wall I0 and thereby taking up substantialspace, by sliding it onto the switch track and swinging it against thewall I6, the entire opening will be free of the folded door.

As shown in Fig. 1 the wall opening II is of a length running from oneside wall to another, upon which there may be two or more folding doorsI2, I3, in which event the auxiliary storage track I5 is provided forreceiving them one at a time as they are switched thereto by the switchtrack I6. However, if the width of the wall opening II is no greaterthan that of one door, there would be no need for providing the storagetrack, the switch track being suicient to swing the single door out ofthe way. Various arrangements of the character above described may beprovided, including a switch track at the other corner of the room,where desirable, or the wall I8 may have an opening similar to theopening II and doors switched from one opening to the other.

The switch track I6 is shown in Fig. 2 as being 22 to an overheadstructure of the room (notY shown), and is closed at one end by aiixedstop member 23. The free end of the switch track It is supported by'` abracket 2li` which carries a pair of rollers 25 andv 26. Thev rollers 25and 26 roll upon an arcuate transfer track 21 likewise secured to theoverhead structure of the room. Said transfer track extends about aquarter circle with its radius of curvature at the pivotal mounting 22of the switch track, whereby the switch trackr may bei swung about itspivotal mounting from a position' aligning it with the main track I4 andthe auxiliary 'storage track I5, respectively.

When the switch trackis swungto its alignment with the main track, therollers I8 supporting the doors may be rolled-from one. track to theother. Similarly, when the switch track is swung into alignment withtheV auxiliary storage track, said rollers may be rolled from one trackto the other. Thus a doorl may be rolled from the main track into. theAswitchr track when in alignment therewith, whereupon the switch trackmay be swung about its pivotal mounting 22 into alignment with; theauxiliary storage track, and the door then rolled from the switch trackto the storage track. The reverse transfer of the door from theauxiliary storage track back to the main trackmay be similarly effectedthrough the mediumof the switch track.

As above mentioned, wherein the folded.l door takes up no more spacethan is .permitted by the switch track, the auxiliary storage trackmaybe dispensed with and the door stored upon the switch track when swungover against the wall IB. To permit the rollers. I8 carrying the door topass onto and off of the switch track, the transfer track 21. isnotchedas indicated at 28 (Figs. 3 and 4), each located oppositethe adjacentends-of the main track I4 and the auxiliary storage track I5,respectively. Whenthe door and rollers-are carried-by the switchtrackduring its swinging movement fromone of the tracks I4, I5 to the other,they are'prevented from escaping due to the lower'portion of thetransfer track extending downwardly below the upper portion 0I" therollers I8. Only when the rollers are brought into registry with thenotches 28 are they permitted to pass the transfer track.

When the switch track I6! is moved out of alignment with one or theotherl track I4, I5, it isV desirable to make provision forautomatically blocking the ends of saidtracks so thatl aV door carriedthereby may not roll off of the unprotected' end. For that purposethereis provided a` pivoted stop member 2qA (Figs. 3 and 4)pivotally'supported' on the convexor outer'surface of'the'transfertrack'i at 3). Said stopmember is formed with a stop portion 3| adaptedto swing upwardly and downwardly on said track. When in its lowerposition, as shown in Fig; 4, it. extends in the path ofy theA rollersI8 carried by the rnain track, or, in other words, overlies the notch 28through which said supports may pass. Thus, when in this,V positiom, thestop member prevents a door from sliding oir that end of the main track.

When the stop portion BI is in its raised position, as shown in Fig. 3,it extends above the rollers I8, opening up the notch 28 so that theymay pass from the main track to the switch track, and vice versa. Theupper edge ci said stop extends above thetransfer track inv the-path ofthev rollers 25, iiwhich roll into and out of the position shown in Fig.2 relative to the main track, as well as the auxiliary storage track.The stop member 3i is further provided with a hump portion 32intermediate its ends and a lip portion 3sat the far endthereof.

Referring to Figs. 3 and c, when the switch trackA it' is in alignmentwith one of the iixed tracks; to receive or discharge a door, the stopmember 253 is in its raised position, as shown in Fig. 3, with theroller 25 lying between the lip portion 33 and the hump portion 32, andthe roller 2t positioned on the opposite side of' the hump portion inthe direction of movementl of the switch track. With said roilere inthis. position, the roller holds the lip portion down the hump portionup, which thereby i ises the stop portion Si free of interference ..-uhthe movement of the rolier i3. 'Upon the switch track being swung out ofalignment with the iiked tracks, said roiiers which carry the switchtrack will roll theV direction of the arrows; Thus, the roller 2e .riilroii over the hump portion 32, forcing the stop portion 3i downwardiv,Aover the end or" the fixed track, where it will remain in its stopposition relative thereto so that no door carriec thereby can roll offof its open end.

When the switch track is swung back to its aligned position with theiixed track., the roller 26 will roll over the hump portion S2k from theopposite direction into the lip portion .'iii. Its engagement with thelip portion wili force the lip portion downwardly7 swinging the stopportion .ii upwardiy together with the hump-portion 32, freeing the stopfrom effective stopping position relative to the end of the iixedtrack.SinceV the roller 25 will have swung the hump portion upwardly beforethe roiier 25 engages it, said rollers will be thereby arrested in aposition straddling the hump portion and with the roller v2t hoidinf thestop portion in its raised position. o

It will be o :served therefore that the stopfnern'- ber is not onlyautomatically actuated intoA and out of stopping relation relative tothe end of the xed track, but also serves as a stop to arrestthe-swinging track in perfect alignment, therewith and prevent anyoverrrun thereof.v Thusthe stop member' serves to both align the swii'.1.-, ing and nxed tracks as well as prevent escape of the rollers fromthe iixed tracks when they switch track is moved out ofalignment.therewith.

The above description of the stop: members similariy appiies to the nxedauxiliary storage tracki, there being one such stop member located lonthe transfer trackzadjaoent the end of eachA fixed track. in, event noauxiiiary storage track is necessary or provided, the notch 2850i -thetransfer trackw-hich would otherwise register with the end' of saidstorage track is blocked oifby asnitahle plate secured'thereoyer tcprevent escapeoi the rollers iii from the switch track when it is instorage position.

While the invention has been particularly described with respect toaroller mounted support for a folding door, it may be appreciated thatitis equally applicable to the mounting of a solid door, as well as adoor having glides oriides instead of rollers slidably supported uponthe several tracks. The doors with respect to which the invention isapplicable are, therefore, generally referred to in the appended claimsas sliding doors whether they are solid, folding, rollersupported orslide-supported, depending upon whether or not the rollers l 8 roll uponthe tracks or comprise fixed glide members which slide upon the tracks.Similarly, the rollers 25 and 23 may comprise fixed glides which slideupon the transfer track as well as rollers which roll thereon.

The invention claimed is: 1. A switch mounting for sliding doors havinga xed track, a pivotally mounted switch track adapted to swing into andout of door transferring alignment with said fixed track, and a doorslidable from one track to the other when aligned, the combinationtherewith of an arcuate transfer track having its center of curvature inthe pivoted mounting of said switch track, a slide member on the freeend of said switch track supporting it for swinging movement on saidtransfer track, and -a stop member pivoted on said transfer trackadjacent the end of said xed track and in the path of said slide member,said stop member being engageable by said slide member in one directionfor movement to fixed track stop position and in the other direction formovement to fixed track open position.

2. A switch mounting for sliding doors having a xed track, a pivotallymounted switch track adapted to swing into and out of door transferringalignment with said fixed track, and a door slidable from one track tothe other when aligned, the combination therewith of an arcuate transfertrack having its center of curvature in the pivoted mounting of saidswitch track, a slide member on the free end of said switch tracksupporting it for swinging movement on said transfer track, and a stopand track aligning member pivoted on said transfer track in the path ofsaid slide member for engagement thereby upon said switch track beingswung into alignment with said xed track, said stop having a portionthereof engageable by said slide member for moving it into stop positionrelative to the end of said fixed track upon said switch track swingingaway therefrom and another portion engageable by said slide member formoving it from said stop position and aligning said tracks.

3. A switch mounting for sliding doors having a fixed track, a pivotallymounted switch track adapted to swing into and out of door transferringalignment with said fixed track, and a door slidable from one track tothe other when aligned, the combination therewith of an arcuate transfertrack having its center of curvature in the pivoted mounting of saidswitch track, a slide member on the free end of said switch tracksupporting it for swinging movement on said transfer track, and a stopand track aligning member pivoted on said transfer track in the path ofsaid slide member for engagement thereby upon said switch track beingswung into and out of fixed track alignment, said member having a stopportion, a hump portion and a lip portion and movable into stop positionrelative to the end of the xed track upon said slide member riding oversaid hump portion during swinging movement of the switch track from thexed track, said lip portion being engaged by said slide member upon saidswitch track being swung to aligned position with said fixed track forraising said stop portion free of said tracks and effecting alignmentthereof.

4. A switch mounting for sliding doors having a iixed track and apivotally mounted switch track adapted to swing into and out of doortransferring alignment with said fixed track, and a door having mountingrollers movable over said tracks, the combination therewith of anarcuate transfer track having its center of curvature in the pivotalmounting of said switch track and embracing the free end thereofthroughout its swinging movement, said transfer track having a notchedopening opposite the end of the fixed track, a pair of spaced switchtrack rollers carrying the free end of said switch track for supportingit for swinging movement on said transfer track, and a stop memberpivoted on said transfer track adjacent the end of said fixed track andin the path of said switch track rollers, said stop member beingengageable by at least one of said switch track rollers in one directionfor movement to switch track stop position and in the other directionfor movement to fixed track open position.

5. A switch mounting for sliding doors having a fixed track and apivotally mounted switch track adapted to swing into and out of doortransferring alignment with said fixed track, and a door having mountingrollers movable over said tracks, the combination therewith of anarcuate transfer track having its center of curvature in the pivotalmounting of said switch track and embracing the free end thereofthroughout its swinging movement, said transfer track having a notchedopening opposite the end of the fixed track, a pair of spaced "switchtrack rollers carrying the free end of said switch track for supportingit for swinging movement on said transfer track, and a stop and trackaligning member pivoted on said transfer track in the path of saidswitch track supporting rollers for engagement thereby upon said switchtrack being swung into and out of xed track alignment, said memberhaving a depending stop portion, an upwardly extending hump portion andan upwardly extending lip portion spaced from said hump portion andrelated to the swinging movement of said switch track for rollerengagement with said lip portion for raising said stop portion out ofstop position and positioning between said lip and hump portions foraligning said tracks, said hump portion being engaged by said rollerswhen moved in the opposite direction for swinging said stop portiondownwardly to stop position relative to the end of the fixed track.

6. In a sliding door track structure of the character described, a stopmember pivotally mounted adjacent one end of a track having an upwardlyextending hump portion, an upwardly extending lip portion spacedtherefrom, and a downwardly extending stop portion aligned with saidhump portion, and a slide member movable in one direction over said humpportion into engagement with said lip portion for swinging said stopmember into hump and stop portion elevated position, and movable in theopposite direction to relieve said lip portion and depress said hump andstop portion.

RALPH W. REYNOLDS.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Matthews June 2, 1914Number

